Finals were as I expected. Joanie lost it almost daily and I got used to the drive in from Ann Arbor every morning. It was just easier to stay with her. Luckily my finals had been the week before or I don't know how I would have managed it at all. I knew she'd be worrying about declaring a major and having to know what she wanted to do. It took half the week to get into her head that she still had the summer and we'd talk about it and she could talk to her folks and other people too. It didn't help my own anxiety about the same thing. I mentioned my own doubts about knowing what I wanted to do. I mean I went from that little kid wanting to be a fireman or cowboy to being pretty sure I wouldn't be doing much of anything and a few years where I was sure I wouldn't live to see adulthood. Then I met Al and the best I could hope for then was to have my own garage someday or take over Al's when he retired. Not that that is a bad thing to aspire to but I had only recently discovered a whole wide world of options and I knew Al would have my head if I stayed working for him without exploring them all and figuring out if it was what I really wanted. It went back to the conversation we'd had that time about my hopes or wildest dreams. I just didn't have any because they weren't allowed. I didn't even know all that was out there to do. I was surprised when Joanie chuckled a bit at me and my confusion.
"You know Daddy's convinced you'll go to law school and come work for him and Uncle Eli," she said like she didn't know why I hadn't thought of the same thing.
"I never took your dad for a heavy drinker," I replied.
"You could do it, you know," she said, "If you wanted to."
"I'm not sure I could," I said, "And I really don't know what I want."
She smiled possibly the only smile I saw that week and said, "Then I guess we both have a lot to think about this summer."
I smiled back at her. I think it was about Wednesday or so that day so we were halfway through the tough week and I knew this was just a momentary calm in what would be a stormy time. There was a lot of thinking to be done but it could wait.
I picked Joanie up from her last class that Friday. She looked like the world had lifted off of her shoulders.
"How'd you do?" I asked her.
"I don't even care at this moment," she said, "I'm just glad it's over."
That wasn't a typical Joanie type thing to say but I understood. She had really been struggling with some of the work and I knew that she was glad to have it behind her. Just the night before we'd talked and I reminded her that when she went looking for a job someday, they weren't going to hold it against her if she didn't make Dean's List every single semester. She'd done a good job in every one since that first and even then she didn't miss it by much. I know she wanted to be able to put that on a résumé someday but sometimes she needed reminding that she'd still probably be fine if she couldn't.
"How does dinner sound?" I asked her.
"You know any other time I would jump at the offer," she said, "But I am exhausted right now. I don't really feel up to going out."
"I think I have just the place then," I said undeterred.
We drove into the city and to my place. This was actually what I had planned all along. I mean I could have switched things up if she had wanted to go out but this was the idea I had. Joanie sort of looked at me like she was suspicious.
"You think I was going to even suggest that you cook after the week you've had?" I asked her.
She smiled at me like she felt silly. I know that at that time there was still a lot of old fashioned notions about what a woman ought to do but I didn't grow up in one of those homes on TV so I didn't expect that. Joanie was, well, I can't even begin to explain how I saw her but cleaning all day in her high heels and pearls wasn't it. I don't know, maybe some women were really happy like that but I knew Joanie never could be. The fact was that I knew what a chore those tests were too and I didn't feel like cooking when I was in the middle of them so I expected she didn't either. Besides, I said I had a plan and it didn't involve Joanie setting one tiny foot in that kitchen.
"What do you have planned, James?" she asked me.
"I guess you'll just have to trust me," I shot back at her as I hauled things out of the fridge and cupboards and into a basket.
"Isn't it a little late in the day for a picnic?" she asked.
"Not the kind I have planned," I told her, "For this picnic it's the perfect time."
I took her hand and pulled her out with me. We got in the car and I drove to the garage. I looked sideways and saw Joanie smiling. She was getting an idea of what I had planned but there was no way she knew the full extent. Well unless I chickened out but I was determined not to.
I led my girl up the stairs and I had been planning the whole day. So there was a table already set with two chairs and within a couple minutes I had candles lit. Al had helped me a little and I pulled the cork out of a bottle of wine he said would be decent, not that I knew the first thing about wine at that time. I pulled the chair out for her to sit at the table and then poured the wine into glasses. I went over and turned on the radio softly.
"This is very romantic James," Joanie said to me, "But you really didn't need to go to all this trouble. I would have been happy with whatever you had in your fridge."
"That would have been some corn flakes or bologna sandwiches and neither would have been quite good enough for you as far as I'm concerned," I replied.
Instead of those offerings I spread out cheeses and some French bread. Teaspoon said it would be romantic and Joanie seemed to like it. I had to admit it was pretty darned good especially with the wine. We talked a while and Joanie finally admitted that she had probably done well in her classes. I knew she had but she just had so little faith in herself sometimes.
As we sat and talked The Five Satins came on the radio singing "In the Still of the Night" and Joanie closed her eyes to listen to it. She always loved that song and I was kind of our song since her prom and it had been the first song we danced to. To this day I hear that song and I have my precious Joanie back in my arms in her powder blue dress and the flowers all in her hair smelling of lilacs.
I guess that was the moment that fate chose to tell me to do what I planned to do all day. Maybe it was even a sign that it was right. I watched her face for a moment; eyes closed and smile just turning the corners of her mouth and I hoped she would always think of this night like that.
"Joanie," I said softly. I wanted her attention but I didn't want to take her too far from her happy thoughts she had when she heard that song. "I wanted to ask you something and it's kind of important."
She opened her eyes a little to me but still kept that dreamy sort of smile.
"What is it, James?"
"Well, I know we talk about things that might happen in the future and sometimes we talk about them like they are for sure going to happen," I said and I knew I wasn't making a bit of sense but I had to keep trying. "I want those things and I think you do too. I really hope so at any rate."
Her smile got bigger and she sort of laughed, "James, I have no idea what you are talking about."
"I know you don't," I admitted, "I'm doing a terrible job explaining myself. I know this has been a hard week on you and I'm not trying to make it harder but I have to ask this. We talk about things like getting married and having kids and that sort of thing. And I know you want to wait until you graduate and I want that too."
I took a deep breath and ran my hand over my face. I stood up and walked over to where she was sitting and I crouched down next to her and then rocked on both knees.
"I know I may be making a terrible mistake doing this and I hope I'm not but I need to because I love you and I believe you love me and I can't think of you ever not being my girl. I know that's not the way you like to think all the time but I need you in my life and I want to be needed in yours."
She was looking at me like she had half an idea of what was going on and she was so smart she probably did. I tried not to look too close in her eyes right then because I wasn't sure what she was thinking. I know she might be happy or she might be furious with me for even bringing it up right then with two years still waiting for her to graduate. Still I fished the little box out of my pocket and opened it in front of her.
"I know we'll still be waiting a while but please say you'll marry me."
I looked at her face and it was contorted and confusing. I could see tears in her eyes and fear and confusion but she was smiling. She took my face in her hands and kissed me real deep and when she pulled away she said, "I will."
Kind of a short chapter for this story but I finally got Jimmy talking in my head a bit...well, 1960's Jimmy anyway. He was really holding out for a while. I enjoyed a happy chapter after I had been writing some stuff that was not so happy. I can't think of a single thing that needs defining or explaining in this. I really think I have missed Jimmy and Joanie. They are so cute...oh but there is so much left to write and so many things with the other characters...lots of things...
So the Red Wings won today...Original 6 match up and we won in a shoot out! Yay!
And officially the Christmas season has begun. I promise to not neglect this story as much as I have the last month but I have plans for Christmas themed short stories (TYR of course) so I will be doing that. We get our tree this week and we watched "White Christmas" tonight! It's my favorite Christmas movie. I have a lot that I like but White Chritmas is the best!-J